Ali's Journey Home

by Beverly Kovatch

  “I don’t understand? Has something changed that I am unaware of?” he asked.

  “Well, you are my husband aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yes, but our situation is different.”

  “Really,” she said as if she had no idea what he meant. “You are Charlie McPherson are you not?”

  “You mean Donahue don’t you?” He said trying to remind her of the deception of their lives.

  “I don’t care what name you go by Charlie. We are husband and wife and tonight we consummate our marriage. No more Masterson, no more hiding from the Wentworth's. Tonight there is only the two of us. Charlie and Lizzie McPherson Donahue, or whatever it is that you want us to be called. You, I, and Faith are a family and we will remain that way.”

  He was sure he was dreaming now, but he took her in his arms and slowly, masterfully, made love to her.

  He was determined that this night he would wipe out any memory she ever had of Masterson Beauregard Ravenswood. After tonight she would belong to him, body and soul. She was his wife. Faith was his daughter, and beginning tonight they would start a new life together. He would take them far from this place where no one would find them. He would protect them, care for them, and love them.

  When he awoke the next morning he expected to find himself on the saloon floor, but there she was sitting in the bed next to him. Faith was in her arms suckling at her breast. He leaned over and kissed Faith on the top of the head, and then moved to his wife’s lips. He kissed her slow and long until he knew she felt what he was feeling.

  “Charlie, stop” she said her face blushing. “It is not acceptable to do that kind of thing in the morning” she said. “The baby is awake.”

  “I am sure that Mona would love to take the baby for a stroll so that her parents can continue where they left off last night.” He said jokingly

  “Charlie” she said indignantly as if she were now suddenly embarrassed about her brazenness last night.

  He laughed. “I have some things to take care of today he said as he got up out of bed.

  “Oh, Charlie” she said exasperated, closing her eyes as he brazenly walked across the room naked. He smiled as he grabbed his clothes and started to get dressed.

  Chapter 13

  “Well, you seem to be in a much better mood this morning Mr. Donahue.” Mona said noticing that he was whistling while he hitched up the horse to the wagon.

  “It’s a bright new morning Ms. Mona” he replied.

  “I’d say things must have gone well last night between you and the Mrs.?”

  “Oh, they went very well, Ms. Mona.” He said blushing.

  Mona chuckled. “See I told you things would all work out in the end. You just have to have a little faith.”

  Then they both chuckled at the coincidence of her comments.

  Just then Lizzie walked out holding a squirming Faith in her hands. “Stop your squirming Faith” she hollered at her aggravated.

  “Let me take her from you. I think you didn’t get enough sleep last night you seem a little irritated.” He said.

  “I am fine Charlie. She is just not behaving for me this morning. She fussed at eating; she wouldn’t let me get her dressed. Now she is just squirming to get out of my hands.”

  “It’s alright Lizzie, sometimes babies get fussy, and this is a strange place for her so she is bound to be fussy.” Mona stated.

  Lizzie wasn’t sure how she felt about the fact that Faith settled down as soon as Charlie had taken her into his arms. She was definitely becoming a daddy’s girl.

  “Come on little Faith how about if you and daddy go for a little walk and let your mommy get some rest before we head home. Go back to the room and get some rest Lizzie. The room is paid for until noon.

  Go lie down for a while, we will be fine. Mona and I have to pick up some supplies so we won’t be ready to leave for at least an hour or two. Go back and rest in the room. We have it all under control”

  Lizzie thought how much she would love an hour or two of undisturbed sleep. “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Absolutely, she will be fine. Go rest we have a long trip home.”

  ALI WATCHED CAREFULLY. Whenever Moreland placed her in some strange place there had to be something important for her to see.

  As she walked through the town and headed toward the docks she thought her eyes deceiving her. Was that Charlie? It couldn’t be. He was holding a small child in his arms as he stood by the ship talking to one of the men aboard.

  “The ship will be heading to Ireland in a month. If you, and your wife and child are not here on time then we leave without you. That is just the way it is.”

  Charlie had spent every last cent he had earned on the fares for them to Ireland. He hoped that he could explain all that to Lizzie without her being angry. He regretted doing this, spending all their money on these tickets, but getting his family out of America and back to Ireland was what he felt was the best solution. He was willing to do anything to keep her and Faith from Masterson and the Wentworth’s. They had to go, and all he could do was hope that she would understand why he was doing this.

  “We will be there. Don’t worry.” Charlie answered the man.

  Ali followed Charlie back to the general store where Mona was waiting.

  “You still have Faith I see?” she chuckled. “Trying to get in Lizzie’s good favor?”

  “Something like that I guess, but I can’t hold her and load up the wagon can you assist?” He asked

  “You had a really good night?” Mona winked at him and Charlie turned a bit red.

  “Yes, I had a good night.” He replied. “Now will you take Faith or what?”

  Ali watched him as he handed the baby to an older woman and loaded up the wagon. Ali realized that obviously some time had gone by since she last saw Charlie and Lizzie. Something dramatic had happened during that time, and just where in the world did Charlie get a baby. Ali moved in closer. She then realized that this wasn’t just any baby. This baby had the same sparkling blue eyes of the Captain.

  This baby had to belong to Captain Masterson for sure.

  Maybe this was it she thought? This had to be what Lizzie was trying to tell him that day at the dock. She was trying to tell him that she was pregnant, it all made perfect sense. It was no wonder the Captain hasn’t been able to rest in peace she thought. Lizzie and Charlie took his child away from him. Surely anyone would be angry if they found out that someone had taken their child from them. This had to be it. He was searching for his child. The Captain couldn’t find Lizzie or his child because Charlie was taking them back to Ireland.

  She needed to go back and find out the name of the ship they would be sailing on. Then somehow she had to let the Captain know. If Lizzie and Charlie were heading to Ireland she had to find out when it was leaving, and just where it was heading. She arrived back at the ship just as some of the men were just getting off and heading to the saloon for a drink. She listened in carefully as the tall sailor with the scar on his cheek said something about heading up the coast to Ravensport.

  If Charlie and Lizzie were in hiding from the Wentworth’s then leaving on this ship most certainly would place them in danger. What would happen if Mary ever found out about the baby? This was not good.

  These men were not your average sailors they were pirates, the kind of men that you hired to get rid of things. They were not sailors that took you from America to Ireland. Chances are Lizzie, Charlie and the baby would die at sea. These are the men who would throw you to the sharks once you were far enough out to sea. What was Charlie thinking picking this ship and these men to take them to Ireland?

  Maybe this is why the Captain never found them. They were going to be murdered at sea, just like his parents.

  As Ali looked closely at the ship she could see that the original name on the ship had been painted over. She walked up closer to see if she could make out the words underneath the fresh paint.

  “It can’t be” she gasped. Caroli
na was the word she was making out. This was the same ship that took Angelina and Jonathan to their death. The Major had lied to them when he told Masterson that they had found his parent’s ship wrecked ship off the coast of Costa’s island. If it was found wrecked then how could it be sitting mysteriously at this dock. His parent’s ship had taken on a new identity. Who was the real Captain of this ship? It surely wasn’t the man who sold Charlie the tickets. It had to be the man who was pretending to be the Masked Raven. Poor Charlie had no idea that he was placing them all in danger. She had to figure out a way to warn them.

  Chapter 14

  Charlie broke the news to Lizzie when they arrived at home. He was surprised at the fact that she agreed with him that leaving was the best thing to do. They needed to start fresh and Ireland was just the place to do it. It wouldn’t be long now. In just a few more days they would all be on a ship sailing back to Ireland.

  Charlie seemed so excited about the adventure they were embarking on. Lizzie on the other hand was a little more worried and apprehensive about the journey. She looked at how Faith had changed so much in her life, and in Charlie's life too. Before all this happened all she wanted to do was to sail off with Masterson, see exotic places, and be a pirate’s wife. Now she had a child to think of and she wondered how she could have ever had those crazy ideas.

  When Masterson first told her about being the mysterious Masked Raven she remembered how shocked she was. The love of her life had become a pirate.

  She remembered them playing on the beach together pretending to be fighting pirates side by side. Now he had become a real pirate. She knew why he did it, and she kept his secret. It was a dangerous life though, and not something that she was sure she could handle. Every time his ship would sail out, waiting for him, wondering if he would ever return.

  His plan was to marry her, and place her safely on a secret hidden island he told her he had found. She had fantasized about a life like that, but then she did not have a child’s welfare to consider. In fact all she could think about now was the safety of Faith nothing else mattered. She knew that Charlie loved Faith more than life, he would die for her. She also knew that she could never destroy Charlie for her own fantasies of a life with Masterson. Faith loved Charlie, he was the only father she knew, and she couldn’t destroy that either.

  Leaving here was the right thing if she wanted to keep Faith safe. She knew that if anyone found out the truth, they might use Faith to harm Masterson.

  This departure was a good decision, she kept telling herself. All she had to do was get her heart to line up with her head.

  Mona sat in the rocking chair holding a sleeping Faith in her arms. She knew that soon the family she had grown to love was leaving, and that they would never return even though Lizzie assured her it was only temporary.

  Lizzie came into the cabin with an apron full of eggs.

  “Look Mona, we have at least a dozen eggs today. The most ever I think in one day.”

  Mona smiled “Yes, so many things have increased since you and Charlie arrived.”

  Lizzie set the eggs in a bowl on the table and went over to the rocker.

  “She has to be getting heavy. Why haven’t you laid her in her bed?”

  “No, I want to hold her while I can.”

  “It’s not like we are leaving forever Mona.” Lizzie said trying to reassure the old woman but she knew that the possibility of them seeing her again was slim. She didn’t want to face the fact that the only woman since her mother died was already in a form of mourning their loss.

  Charlie walked in and saw the sad scene unfolding in front of him. He was to blame for this and he felt very uncomfortable walking in on this moment between Lizzie and Mona.

  “Let me put her in bed.” Charlie said as he took Faith from Mona’s arms.

  As he took Faith from her Mona got up from the chair and walked outside asking to be alone for a while.

  “How can we do this to her Charlie? We are the only family she has.” Now thinking that maybe what they were doing was wrong.

  “She has a daughter, and a husband somewhere. She needs to stop hiding in this house and look for them. We are not her family Lizzie.” He said harshly.

  “How can you say that we are not her family Charlie?”

  He ignored Lizzie’s remark and put Faith in her crib.

  “I have to ride into town today.” she said defiantly. “I am going to leave Faith in her care until I return.”

  “You know I don’t like you going into town alone.”

  “Well today I am going alone. You have to finish taking care of things around here. We are going to be leaving in a few days and I have to get a few things for the trip.”

  “Fine,” he said knowing that he was going to lose this fight “but remember stay in the shadows and don’t let anyone see you.”

  “You worry too much Charlie.” Lizzie said as she walked out the front door out by the corral where Mona was standing watching the horses canter around.

  “Mona, can you keep an eye on Faith while I run an errand?

  “Of course, you go ahead, but promise to be careful.”

  “Now you’re starting to sound like Charlie.”

  They both laughed, but Mona was still showing a bit of worry on her face.

  Charlie came out with the wagon all ready for her.

  “Remember what I said Lizzie” he said as she climbed onto the horse.

  “I will be back before nightfall.” she said knowing that if she weren’t back on time Charlie would be angry and worried.

  Mona and Charlie stood and watched as Lizzie rode away.

  “Quit worrying you two” she yelled as she rode down the road.

  ALI WALKED DOWN THE dirt street into the town. How was she going to warn Lizzie of the danger? How could she keep Charlie, Lizzie and her baby from getting aboard that ship?

  She knew that Moreland had told her to only observe so she wasn’t sure if that meant that Lizzie could no longer see or hear her. Captain Moreland who brought her into all of this seemed to have rules for her quest; trouble was he had a habit of changing the rules whenever he wanted to. After all why had Lizzie been able to see and hear her in the past, but the Captain couldn’t? It made no sense.

  Why was he sending her into different eras of their life? Seeing the Captain, Lizzie, and Charlie as children must have some kind of meaning. Then there was his story with Angelina?

  Maybe she was missing the true intention? Maybe this had nothing to do with Lizzie or the Captain? Maybe it was all about John J. Moreland instead of Masterson? It was driving her crazy.

  No, all of this had to be about Masterson and Lizzie. What if she couldn’t save them, and was she even suppose to? Captain Moreland never did tell her what the consequences were if she failed this quest. If she got Lizzie and the Captain back together then all of this might end, but if Lizzie got on that ship, well she didn’t want to even think about what might happen.

  LIZZIE RODE INTO TOWN and stopped in front of the local mercantile store. She got down and tied the horse to the rail. She stepped up onto the walkway and glanced into the local mercantile window.

  She dreamed of being able to buy whatever her heart desired, but well money was scarce, and everything they had saved, well Charlie spent on their return trip to Ireland.

  Lizzie headed to the postal office. She was hoping for a letter to be there. She had sent one to Matthew telling him that they were heading to Ireland. She needed him to know that. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but she had promised Matthew that she would always let him know where she was in case he needed her. It was hard to believe that two years had gone by since she left. He was almost seven years old. He told her he was attending school and that he missed her.

  She was taking a big chance hoping that Matthew would not say anything to anyone else, and that no one would find her letter. She didn’t sign it because she knew that Matthew would know it was her. He had been instructed to destroy every
letter so that their secret would remain safe. She was troubled by the fact that he said his mother was going to be taking him away from Ravenswood.

  He wasn’t sure where, but he told her that his father had not returned home and she was planning on remarrying. She folded the letter and placed it in her bodice close to her heart. She loved and missed Matthew and wished that she could have taken him with her. From what he said the chances were slim that Masterson would ever be returning home. She was sad for Matthew, but there was nothing she could do. All of this news just made her believe that going back to Ireland was the right thing to do.

  Chapter 15

  The ship slowly docked at Ravenswood Port. People were heading up and down the dock when he spotted a woman and a child standing at the far end of the dock. He was sure it was Lizzie and Matthew. He leaped from the ship and ran toward what he thought were the loves of his life. Then she turned to face him and he stopped abruptly.

  It was Mary and Matthew. Lizzie was nowhere in sight.

  “Masterson,” she yelled excitedly.

  “Father,” Matthew yelled and ran into his father’s arms.

  “Look at you? My God, you are almost a man. Just look how tall you have grown my son.” He spoke as he hugged Matthew to his chest.

  “I am almost seven, father.” He replied.

  “That you are my son.”

  “Why are you here? “He asked Mary

  “I am here because of Matthew. He never stopped believing that you would not return. He insists on going to the dock each time a ship comes in. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you jump from the ship, but Matthew always had faith that you would return. We were sure that you were dead.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “I am quite tired Mary, but I would like to hear all the news.”